Quickly regaining his balance after a slight jostle at the start, Rhyme Schemes blew away the field and cruised to a 9 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Saratoga Special (G2) on Saturday at the Spa.
At the start, Rhyme Schemes stumbled a bit out of post 6, bumped into Edified in post 5, who then made contact with Haul out of post 4.
No matter for Rhyme Schemes. Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. moved his 2-year-old colt into striking position sooner than later and by the time the field hit the turn for home, Rhyme Schemes was stretching his lead with every stride for the easy win over Market Price.
Winning time for the 6 ½-furlong Saratoga Special was 1:17.12. Sent off as the favorite in the field of six, Rhyme Schemes returned $4.10 on a $2 win bet. Haul was third, followed by Haul, Lasso, Edified, and Woodcourt.
Trainer Norm Casse’s Confident Expectations Lead to Impressive Victory
Trainer Norm Casse, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, said before the race he was a little nervous because ‘’you never know what can happen at Saratoga,’’ but this result was no surprise.
A chestnut son of Ghostzapper, Rhyme Schemes ran sixth in his debut in May, but won by 9 ½ lengths in a 5 ½-furlong race at Ellis Park next out a month later.
“The first time he ran at Ellis was the first time we gave him his head and let him out, and today was the second time and you see what he does,’’ said Deuce Greathouse of Pure Vida Investments, which owns Rhyme Schemes. “It’s kind of jaw dropping when he does it and sprints away like that.”
Casse mentioned the Hopeful (G1) as his colt’s next start, with a plan of getting to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. Of course, the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) is the long-range target.
“We skipped the Sanford with the intention of running him twice (at the Spa), here today and coming back in the Hopeful (Sept. 4),’’ Casse said. “I think going forward, he’s going to be a better two-turn horse but that remains to be seen.”
Added Santana: “That’s a nice horse. We had a good trip. He broke a little step slow, but still, he was much the best today. I’m really happy with him.”
The Saratoga Special was first run in 1901, and winners who went on to capture the Derby include Regret, Triple Crown winner Whirlaway, Bold Forbes, and Swale.
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